


Happier

by paperxcrowns



Series: Dick and Dami Week 2021 [7]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Bad Person Ra's al Ghul, Canon Temporary Character Death, Damian Wayne Needs a Hug, Dick Grayson Tries to Be a Good Older Sibling, Dick Grayson is Damian Wayne's Parent, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Injury, Insecurity, No editing we die like jason todd, as we should, we hate him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-21 19:55:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30027030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paperxcrowns/pseuds/paperxcrowns
Summary: Damian comes up to Dick one day and asks him if he’s happy with him.Prompt: “Are you happy?”
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne
Series: Dick and Dami Week 2021 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2199357
Comments: 6
Kudos: 131
Collections: DickAndDamiWeek2021





	Happier

**Author's Note:**

> this is the last day and even if this was a lot of fun to do, i'm glad it's over 😅

Damian didn’t know what Richard was doing or why, but he did not like it.

His mother never treated him like that. Ra’s certainly had never treated him like that. His father, to an extent, didn’t treat him like that. 

“Damian,” Richard said as Damian was making his way up the staircase towards his room.

He paused but didn’t turn around. 

“Damian, you know the rules,” he said. “You gotta let me check for injuries.”

Damian huffed. “Why?” he asked, whirling around. “A simple injury is nothing. If anything, it will test my endurance and build up my pain tolerance. Is that not what Robin should do? I should be able to take a hit,  _ Batman.” _

Richard’s face twisted. “Dames--”

And there he went again. He always sounded sad when Damian said things like that. 

“The bullet grazed my arm,” Damian snapped. “And my shoulder was only dislocated. I have gone through worse at the League.”

“That’s--” Richard sighed wearily. “That’s not how it works here. This isn’t the League of Assassins, and I don’t let my partners get hurt without helping them. You’re my partner, Damian. You’re my Robin. I know you can take any injury, but I can’t let you walk around with one. Please.” 

Damian glowered at Richard without moving. Richard was waiting for him to make the first move, Damian realized. 

“I can do it myself,” he replied. 

Richard’s shoulders slumped in obvious relief. “I can work with that.”

And to Damian’s surprise, he left him alone. He went to the other side of the room and grabbed a towel from a pile and told Damian that he would be back before heading for the shower and left Damian alone. Like he believed Damian would go through with bandaging his bullet would and treating his dislocated shoulder.

Damian probably should clean his wounds. He was sure some of those throwing knives sliced through more than just his armor.

He scoffed and climbed up the stairs. He’d let Pennyworth take care of his Robin suit. It was barely a flesh wound. Damian didn’t need to be babied. He wasn’t a  _ child. _ He was the son of the Batman, he was an Al Ghul. His grandfather was the Demon Head. There was no place for weakness.

He slammed the door of his bedroom shut behind him.

* * *

Richard sought him out immediately after his shower.

Damian could tell because his hair was still dripping onto the shoulders of his gray shirt.

“Damian.” 

It was Richard’s tone that caught him by surprise more than anything else. Damian had expected anger and a punishment for not following direct orders, and for breaking Richard’s trust. But there wasn’t even a hint of disappointment in his voice.

“I deemed it unimportant to wrap my arm,” Damian replied coolly, Alfred purring contently in his lap, his pencil gripped tightly in one hand. Would Richard punish him? He knew Damian liked to draw-- it was likely that he would take his supplies away. 

“Too bad,” Richard said, brandishing a first aid kit.

Damian scowled and watched him set it on his bed. Richard grabbed the small bottle of antiseptic, a cotton ball and a bandaid before nodding at Damian.

“Come on,” he said. “Roll your sleeve up and then I’ll leave you alone.”

When Damian didn’t move he tilted his head to the side. “I’ll let you eat dinner in your room tomorrow night.”

Damian’s frown deepened. Did Richard think him weak-willed enough that he thought he could be bought-out with the promise of eating in solitude? 

Richard raised an eyebrow. “If you don’t do it, I’ll have to do it for you,” he said. “And we both know how you’ll react to that.”

Because Richard respected Damian’s boundaries. He didn’t touch him when Damian ducked out of hugs, he never hit him when he got frustrated with him, and he never manhandled Damian. Richard was strange. 

Carefully avoiding bothering the cat in his lap, Damian rolled up his sleeve and exposed the bullet wound. It was crusted with dried blood all over, definitely making it look much worse than it really was.

Richard said nothing, he didn’t scowl or snap at Damian, he simply poured antiseptic on the cotton ball and started cleaning the wound soundlessly, only shooting Damian the barest of smirks as he went. 

Damian set his jaw and didn’t look at him again.

* * *

Damian didn’t know how much trouble he would get in for demanding answers from Richard, but it was better that he found out why Richard was treating him like that, why he was spending so much time around him when they weren’t training, or talking patrol strategy, or preparing for patrol.

“Richard,” he said from the doorway, clasping his hands together behind his back to hide the shaking.

He looked up from where he was sorting through the mail at the kitchen table, a mug and an empty pot of coffee next to the small pile.

“Yes?” he asked. 

“Are you happy?” Damian asked, keeping his voice neutral and his expression blank. 

Richard stared at him in confusion for a few seconds.

“Of course I’m happy,” he said. “I’m with you. And Alfred. And all your pets. Sure, Bruce is gone and everyone else is--” his shoulders slumped a little. “A little scattered. But of course I’m happy.”

“No,” Damian said. “Are you happy to have me? That’s-- that is something you say a lot. That you’re happy to have me. You do not have to lie to me. I know you are taking care of me because Father is gone and I am now the responsibility of his oldest, but--”

Dick set down the letter he was holding and stood up, cutting off Damian’s sentence.

“Dami,” he said softly, his face sad. “Dames, of course I’m happy with you. And to have you in my life.”

He sighed and his hand reached forward. Damian braced himself but Richard only set his hands on his shoulders.

“I’ll be very honest with you, Dami, okay?” he said. “Because you only deserve honesty and love from me and everyone around you.”

He led Damian to the couch and they both sat down. Damian felt apprehension knot in his stomach.

“You are right,” Richard said. “At first I didn’t want to be the one to carry the burden of taking care of everything Bruce left behind. I didn’t want to take the mantle. I didn’t want to help Tim with Wayne Enterprises on top of my own job and life. And yes, I didn’t want to take care of you.”

Damian made to get up. This had been a mistake. He wasn’t ready to hear this. He didn’t want Richard to confirm what he’d suspected--

Richard grabbed his wrist before he could turn and walk away. “And it wasn’t because of you,” he added. “It’s because I didn’t have a single clue how to take care of a ten-year-old. But-- here you were, with your father dead and thinking you’d have to go back to Ra’s, and I wasn’t letting that happen.  Because no child  should grow up like you did. You deserved a childhood, and it was terrifying, taking care of you. Because I am by far the best person to help you. But, Damian, I don’t regret it. Not one bit.”

Damian sunk back down into the pillows, feeling empty and void of anything except for shock and disbelief.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Richard went on. “I think, in a way, we both saved each other. We were each other’s rocks through this whole mess and through Bruce’s death, and I needed you just as much as you needed me. And I am happy with you. And proud of you.”

“It doesn’t make sense,” Damian said, twisting his hands together. “I have done nothing to prove myself worthy of your pride.”

“You made it this far,” Richard said. “You stuck with  _ me _ while I was-- _ am-- _ still struggling to act all dark and broody like Batman. Hell yeah, I’m proud of you. Have you seen the things you draw? You keep getting better! I’m so proud of you. It’s not always about proving yourself in battle. That’s not how your worth should be determined.”

Damian furiously twisted the hem of his shirt in his hands.

“It  _ is,” _ he said. “I’m the son of Batman, heir to the Al Ghul name. I--”

_ “You _ are ten,” Richard interrupted. “You are allowed to be more than that.”

Damian didn’t know  _ how. _ He couldn’t even understand what Richard meant when he said he was proud of him when Damian had done nothing to deserve it. 

“I still have to finish sorting through that monstrous pile of mail,” Richard said, standing up and stretching. “You want to sit with me and draw or something? The company would be welcome.”

Damian sighed deeply. “I suppose I wouldn’t mind.”

Richard grinned at him and ruffled his hair on his way back to the kitchen table. Damian-- could be starting to like it. 

**Author's Note:**

> [you can say hi on tumblr :)](https://blas-ph-emy.tumblr.com/)


End file.
